Osweald is the Old English form of Oswald. Derived from the elements ōs "god" and weald "power", it is cognate with Old Norse Ásvaldr. The name was recorded in Anglo-Saxon England, notably in the late 9th century translation of Bede's Ecclesiastical History.Osweald declined as a given name after the Norman Conquest but experienced a revival in the 19th century alongside other medieval names. Its most famous historical namesake is Saint Oswald, a 7th-century King of Northumbria who promoted Christianity in northeastern England and was venerated as a martyr. Another notable figure is Saint Oswald of Worcester, a 10th-century bishop of Danish ancestry.Modern variants include German Oswald, Swedish Osvald, and English diminutives like Ossie, Oz, Ozzie, and Ozzy.